The campsite was destroyed.
The fire had long since gone out, leaving charred remains behind and the faint scent of smoke. Surrounding it were torn tents, ripped to shreds by a blade of some sort. Most likely an axe.
Imani shouldn’t have been surprised. She had been rewired, almost like a clock, to expect the worst. But she had still dared to hope.
Kris was the first to move, forcing himself to be unphased. There were no bodies and that was a mercy. He picked through the ruined tents, looking for anything that would keep them alive for a moment longer.
She watched, numb and aching. She knew she should help, that she should clutch anything sharp enough to be a weapon, but her body was rooted in place. Adrenaline still coursed through her, her body unable to discern that she was safe for the moment. She glanced around the camp, tormenting herself further by forcing herself to realize that they were alone, when something shiny caught her eye.
She kneeled onto the ground, ignoring how the mud seeped into her pants. It hardly mattered when she was already covered in muck. She reached forward, gingerly bringing the golden chain into her hands. The necklace was horrifyingly familiar.
She was here. Her sister was here.
Kris grabbed her shoulder. “We need to go.”
“She was here. My sister,” she mumbled, her voice foreign in her own ears. In the time she spent running, there was no time for words. Only her screams.
He frowned, clearly troubled at the information. She understood why. They assumed that she was one of the dozens of kids that boarded the bus and got away. But she was here. Either fighting for her life or already dead in a river.
“We can find her. But we need to grab what we can and go now.”
She took one last look at the campsite, the sight of it not easing the dread lodged into her throat. Sighing softly, Kris kneeled beside her and grabbed her hand. His hand, although calloused, was warm and eased her fraught nerves. For a moment she could breathe.
She finally looked at him and saw nothing but grim determination. When he spoke, it was with a confidence she didn’t feel. “We’ll find her. I promise.”
She nodded, choosing to believe him. Hope would have to be her solace for the night.
vaporwave
blakekathryn
2087
dailybridgerton
stormborns
